HB 2365 Washington House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Advancing digital opportunities for all.

HB 2365 establishes Washington's governor's statewide broadband office to improve affordable broadband access and digital equity across the state. The bill defines key terms like "broadband" (requiring minimum 100 Mbps download/20 Mbps upload speeds) and "digital inclusion" (ensuring access to reliable internet, devices, and digital literacy training). It directly affects underserved populations including low-income households, rural residents, seniors, people with disabilities, and others as defined in section (21). The law mandates the office to drive broadband adoption and address gaps in unserved areas, focusing on concrete standards rather than speculative outcomes. The bill is currently pending in the House Appropriations Committee after failing committee passage.

Issues: ✓ Education ✓ Technology

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 9, 2026 Last action Feb 9, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Substitute Bill → Second Substitute Bill · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was reclassified from the Technology committee to Appropriations and its reading date was updated. The most significant change is the shift in the digital equity plan update schedule, moving the mandatory review and update date from January 1, 2027, to January 1, 2029. Additionally, the requirement for the office to seek federal funding was changed to optional, and new internal oversight procedures were added for the department of commerce to handle staff concerns about improper payments.

Scope change

The bill's scope regarding the digital equity plan timeline was altered, extending the cycle for plan reviews and updates by two years. The scope of funding requirements was also modified by making the pursuit of federal funding optional rather than mandatory.

TIMELINE

The deadline for the office to review and update the state digital equity plan was changed from January 1, 2027, to January 1, 2029.

REQUIREMENT

The mandatory requirement for the office to seek available federal funding was changed to optional, allowing the office to decide whether to pursue it.

The director must now provide draft eligibility guidelines and selection criteria to the department's contracts and compliance division for review and approval before use.

ENFORCEMENT

New procedures were added requiring the department of commerce to establish a process for staff to report concerns about improper payments or contract noncompliance directly to leadership without interference.

REPORTING

The structure of the annual report was simplified; the detailed plan description and measurable objectives are now only required in subsequent reports after the initial submission, rather than in every report.

TECHNICAL

The bill was moved from the Technology, Economic Development, & Veterans committee to the Appropriations committee, and the first reading date was updated from January 30, 2026, to February 9, 2026.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 9, 2026

Committee

Referred to Rules 2 Review.

lower

Feb 9, 2026

Lower · Passed

Minority; do not pass.

lower

Feb 9, 2026

Lower · Passed

Executive action taken in the House Committee on Appropriations at 10:30 AM.

lower

Feb 6, 2026

Lower · Passed

Public hearing in the House Committee on Appropriations at 10:30 AM.

lower

Jan 30, 2026

Committee

Referred to Appropriations.

lower

Jan 27, 2026

Lower · Passed

Minority; without recommendation.

lower

Jan 27, 2026

Lower · Passed

Minority; do not pass.

lower

Jan 27, 2026

Lower · Passed

Executive action taken in the House Committee on Technology, Economic Development, & Veterans at 10:30 AM.

lower

Jan 20, 2026

Lower · Passed

Public hearing in the House Committee on Technology, Economic Development, & Veterans at 10:30 AM.

lower

1 primary · 9 co-sponsors